Metal brake line measurements?

Unknown
Unknown
edited November -1 in HUDSON
I have a 1950 Hudson Commodore 6 and I broke the driver side Metal brake line. The first place I can take the whole line off is right under the drivers side seat and completely stuck. I have tried everything to remove it without breaking it again. So instead of being able to remove it, it looks like I will have to replace all the lines. Does anyone have the measurements of the Metal brake lines so I can just order them and rebuild all the brakes bake to original.. Thanks

Comments

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Maverick

    The easiest method of determining the length of the brake lines is the take a dressmakers tape and measure the individual brake line lenghts. To make rough templates of the shapes each section, use a regular coat hanger and bend it to the shape(s) of each brake line section. You will find most of the sections you need are the off the shelf prefab brake lines available at the autoparts store. Buy them and bend them to the wire shapes... take care to use a brake line forming tool during the bending.

    Good Luck
  • dwardo99
    dwardo99 Expert Adviser
    You need to replace all those lines regardless! IMHO that's the first thing anybody should do when they purchase a car as old as ours are. You can just cut them with a diagonal cutter or whatever to get them off. Like Ken said, the lines are available in assorted lengths at a good auto store (be careful not to pick up metric ones by mistake that somebody put in the wrong bin. Same with the fittings, all available. You may wind up fudging a little because you may not be able to get exactly the right lengths to duplicate the factory routing. You'll want to try to save the clips that hold them to the chassis and reuse them. It's good to buy a tubing wrench or two as well. Good time to replace the hoses too! Remember, with a single master cylinder when one thing goes they all go. Good luck.
  • 50C8DAN
    50C8DAN Senior Contributor
    I am a stainless steel addict and always replace my lines with stainless. It is a bit harder to bend and you will need a special flaring tool but I think it is worth it. No rust (ever) and they always look great. I buy 316 stainless 3/16" diam. tubing in 10 ft sections at a local industrial supply company that specializes in gas and chemical tubing supplies. I get my stainless tubing nuts from Classic Tube or one of the other stainless steel brake companies. I just use string and a magic marker for my measurements from the old lines. A tubing wrench is a must. For my bends I just use a pole in my garage and carefully bend them by hand (this works for 3/16" but larger tube is much harder).
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Thank you for the feedback I think I like the stainless steel idea. Hopefully with the stainless steel when i sell the car the 3rd owner, 56 years from now will still have some nice looking brake lines. I was planning on doing all the brake lines when I did the ground up restoration in the future once I got a smaller house and a 4 car garage but looks like car will get a strip down sooner. I am very glad that there is so much free knowledge being passed around in here maybe one day I will be able to help someone out. Thank you very much
  • 50C8DAN
    50C8DAN Senior Contributor
    I used to flare stainless tubing with a Snap-On flaring tool but it was hard to do and it was a crap shoot if you got a decent flare, even with practice. I recently picked up the tool listed below from a guy in the UK, but I now see that Eastwood has it for quite a bit less than I paid. It works absolutely great and factory perfect flares everytime and on my '50C8 we had zero leakers! Only caution is to make sure the anvil is seated all the way or you will break the yoke. This is an absolutely great tool to have for any type of tubing:



    http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?itemID=2486&itemType=PRODUCT
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    I was looking at that and I was also thinking that I would get the Eastwood Brake forming Pliers

    http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=10826&itemType=PRODUCT&iProductID=10826



    Which I have heard good things about and the Brake Line Tubing 25' 3/16 Diameter w/Asst Fittings. Figure it will all show up at the same time and I can get it done in over the weekend.



    Not sure if its a good deal or I should go local and spend my money at home





    http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=2468&itemType=PRODUCT
  • 50C8DAN
    50C8DAN Senior Contributor
    I have either used a tubing bender or my hands and a pipe or pole as a mandrel to shape the lines and it works out fine. You get the feel of the tubing, just be careful not to make tight bends. I have looked at the forming pliers but really never felt I needed them, but honestly never tried them. Be careful on the coil tubing listed, it is not stainless but corrosion resistant steel, probably aluminized. Eastwood does have coiled stainless but it is 3X the price of what you linked to. Personally, I prefer to start with straight lengths of tubing, especially stainless, otherwise you have to flaten it and it never quite gets perfectly straight. Look in your local phone book Yellow pages for "Tube Fittings" and see if you can find someone that sells thin-walled stainless, make sure it is annealed. I also use stainless tubing nuts from http://www.classictube.com/ . Note that this may run you $2.50 to $3.00 a foot for 3/16" diameter for 316 Stainless
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    I have completely rebuilt the front brakes and now working on the brake lines. I found stainless steel 316 stainless steel at Canadian Tire for $5 for 5 feet I bought 20 ft all together from them and then I ran I was talking to a guy that does racing cars and he gave me all that he had so I should hopefull have the brake lines all replaced this week. Just have to rebuild the back brake's tomorrow hopefully it won't take as long to get the parts. Thank you for the wealth of knowledge it has been virtually priceless.
  • MikeWA
    MikeWA Senior Contributor
    Have been told by oldtimers that tubing bending is greatly simplified by filling the tubing with sand- packed full, right to the top of the flange- and put a cap on both ends. This causes the outside of the bend to stretch, rather than the inside of the bend to kink- because the sand in the tube prevents it from collapsing. Still have to take it slow, and bend around a pipe or post- but helps prevent kinking and collapse.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    I replaced all my brakelines, with stainless steel, and used this to form the double flanges. Makes perfect flanges every time. Also great for making fuel lines.
  • hudsonguy
    hudsonguy Senior Contributor
    Just another option, for what it's worth.



    Even though I'd love to have one of these flaring tools, I didn't when I did my SS brake lines a couple of years ago. Instead, I ordered the straight set from Classic Tube (I think it was about 6 lines 6' long, or so). I cut them to the lengths I needed for my car, assembled the flare nuts to them, taped them in place, and sent them back to Classic Tube to have the flares put on. The flares came back absolutely perfect, and it didn't really cost much at all. Then I added the bends with a hand tool and installed them on the car. It did require pretty precise initial measurements, but the outcome is excellent.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    I hope with all these tools I am buying that I either buy another car or I can sell them on ebay when my girlfriend kicks me out becouse I am in the garage too much. That looks like a really sweet flange tool, whats the price on that and who makes it. I think I will try to do the brake lines myself so that when I am driving to whistler (one of the worst highways I have ever driven) and my brakes fail at least I will know who to yell at.
  • 50C8DAN
    50C8DAN Senior Contributor
    Eastwood and Matco sell these all out flaring tools. I believe they are in the $400 ballpark.
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